Continuing education staff very concerned about contamination

Nearly 90 percent of secondary school staff are concerned about becoming infected, or infecting someone else at school. In June this was still 50 percent. Back then, students had to keep a distance of XNUMX meters from each other, so that in many schools only a third of the students were present at a time.

Tekst Webredactie - 2 september 2020 - 6 Minuten om te lezen

Now that the school is once again populated by hundreds and sometimes even thousands of students, concerns among staff are growing. The AOb conducted a survey of members and non-members in secondary and special secondary education. About three thousand *Respondents: 96 percent (2769) from regular secondary education, 4 percent (101) from special secondary education. of them completed the questionnaire last week and shared their experiences with the start-up of education.

What is clear: keeping a distance of one and a half meters between teacher and student is impossible. Certainly not for practical subjects or break supervision, especially from the comments of the respondents: 'I teach vocational courses in cooking & serving. Keeping distance is impossible and using face masks is complicated. I know from my immediate colleagues, but also from other lecturers who teach practical subjects, that we are very concerned about the situation.'

Risk group

In the survey, three-quarters of teachers and support staff (74 percent) say they are unable to stay five feet away from students. A quarter say it is going reasonably well and only 1 percent think it works well. Keeping a distance is even more difficult in secondary special education: 81 percent does not succeed, 19 percent says: reasonable.

That explains the concerns. And these certainly do not only come from staff who themselves belong to a risk group (24 percent), or who have a vulnerable roommate (18 percent).

The graph above gives a very different picture than with the partial opening of secondary education in June. Then 13 percent were very concerned, 39 percent somewhat and 48 percent not.

Physical

Risk group or not. The teaching staff has gone to work en masse. Since the start, 92 percent of teaching staff in the North and South regions have been physically at school every working day. 4 percent went incidentally and 4 percent did not. 'I am prepared to run a slightly increased risk if this substantially improves the quality of education. We really did serious violence to education for the holidays.'

Once at work, the one and a half meters hinders teaching considerably. 'We are not allowed to walk into the classrooms during lessons; this is a very big obstacle to providing good education. It is important that I can look into the scriptures. Especially with students who don't ask questions. But I can't even get close.' Another writes: 'Maintaining order is currently a challenge. You can't walk around, letting your "antennae" do their job. From behind a mudguard it is difficult to hear which direction the noise is coming from.'

What also stands out:

In 17 percent of the respondents, corona cases are currently known at school
41 percent say that students do not comply with hygiene measures
There is enough disinfectant hand gel (according to 89 percent), but the staff often do not know whether the school is cleaned extra (45 percent)
Most schools have taken additional measures (67 percent of respondents say), especially in the form of mudguards, mouth masks and face shields (face shields)
6 percent speak of a mandatory masking for students. More common are mandatory mouth masks during lesson changes, or when the teacher asks for it.
Only 40 percent say the windows can be opened in all classrooms.
Ventilation remains a concern. 80 percent has already been informed about the ventilation system. 69 percent of them indicate that the school building meets the requirements according to the board.

We want to see which schools need help

AObdirector of secondary education Henrik de Moel is not surprised about the increase in concerns among his colleagues. "The number of infections increased during the summer and the fact that all children are back in school makes it almost impossible to continuously monitor that one and a half meters."

De AOb emphasizes the responsibility teachers feel to keep education going. 86 percent of teachers who belong to a risk group are in the classroom. This also applies to people who belong to a risk group themselves and who live with someone from a risk group. De Moel: "There should be more attention and appreciation for that. At the same time - and that's the wry thing - it is especially important for this group that the rules are observed at school."

Lessons were already dropped due to the teacher shortage. Now corona is on top of that. The AOb continues to urge the Ministry to keep track of how many lessons are not given. De Moel: "Not to enforce, but to gain insight into the scope of this problem and which schools need help." In addition, the AOb priority for teachers in the corona tests. This is to keep education going and the workload manageable.

Accept

The ministry published another the day before yesterday optimistic message about the opening of the schools on his website, plus a fourteen-page addition on the existing protocols. With the NPO program News hour Education Minister Arie Slob announced on Monday that we simply have to accept that students and teachers can fall ill. On Twitter, teacher Jos Aameyri reacts angrily: 'We do that too. But I am missing something essential from this minister: we are doing everything we can to prevent that!'

In the open comments, more than 1200 respondents filled in, education staff let them know that they think it is a matter of time before things go wrong. 'Heyt is waiting for a hefty outbreak. Many of us have groups of more than thirty students that we have to teach in unsuitable classrooms.' And about the rules that must prevent infections: 'On paper it seems reasonable. Practice is lousy.'

Other statements about current teaching practices and risks:

'Sometimes I have to walk through crowded auditoriums and over crowded schoolyards. Students don't move aside for a moment, but just bump into you.'

'Open windows and doors create permanent background noise. It distracts students a lot and is therefore very tiring. Besides, our entire school is freezing cold and it's only just September.'

“I feel like a medical guinea pig. Everywhere in the country, people still work at home or with fewer people in an office. I am in a room that is much too small with thirty adolescents.'

“What we have to do is at odds with the national corona measures. I'm not afraid, but I don't agree.'

'Keeping a distance from teacher to student hinders teaching and the bond you want to build with students at the beginning of a school year.'

'It is not communicated which students or colleagues are in home quarantine. Each class has several cases and colleagues are at home. But I only know things from the corridors.'

'I have a number of colleagues who do not believe in corona. And therefore think everything is nonsense.'

'More and more students and colleagues drop out because of the long waiting time for tests and test results. What's left of our vital interest?'